Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Official New Car Reviews (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/)

-   -   2022 Maruti Baleno Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/248859-2022-maruti-baleno-review-6.html)

+1.
Hi Nren, I assume you still own a Baleno. Please do a thorough test drive, and post a comparison of the drive, build etc with the old Baleno - unbiased, and unprejudiced. That will be very helpful for many. Please.

Is there a slight chance Maruti will offer a sunroof as an option in the future?
It’s really a bummer when most other cars in this segment have it

Less chance for that. Somewhere I heard that the shape of the roof is somewhat not suited to incorporate sunroof, though I didn't exactly get it, and may be a ploy by sales team to fool the ignorant customers.

Another reason may be crash-worthiness. As Maruti is trying to get a higher score in NCAP tests, a sunroof on a small car MAY BE a spoiler.

But a sunroof is coming in Brezza.

If engineered properly I don’t think having a sunroof will negatively impact the safety of a vehicle so I think these are just tricks to fool the customers but yea the baleno does have a curved roof so I guess putting a sunroof meant redesigning the roof and that would have affected the entire structure of the vehicle and increased costs for them so I feel that’s the reason they skipped it.

I was looking to buy the Ignis Delta and customize it, then chose a Swift ZXi for its bigger size and better performance.. The Nexa guy asked me to look at the Baleno.
I had an opportunity to take a short TD and here are my observations:

It feels like a premium, laid-back car.

The clutch was superbly light, and the gear shifting experience was good. I had a very short TD because of the traffic situation in Thane, but I didn't have to work the gear box much - there is decent pick up even at 10-12 kmph on 3rd gear and the engine seemed decently relaxed when pulling.

I felt the turning radius was large in the two U-turns that I did - but I would love to hear other bhpians share their views here.

The steering is very electric and didn't give me that feedback like the Swift or Ignis did, but it was doing its job well, and Suzuki seems to have finally found the solution to the steering return issue.

I didn't get a chance to drive this at speeds more than 55 owing to the traffic. The engine packs a punch, but is more suited for sedate drivers, i.e, me :-P
If you are a light footer like me, I think you will like this car and is definitely not for enthusiasts.

I have experience driving an 2016 i20 (My parent's car) and I felt the performance of this engine is better than the i20.

I am considering getting the Baleno Zeta - I still haven't made up my mind.

The addition of Sun Roof is a non starter for J OEMs due to various reasons.
1) To give Sun Roof in a given platform, the vehicle height has to be raised to ensure enough head room internally. In Japan, since there is absolutely no demand for Sun Roofs, Suzuki has not developed it's platforms for the same. It is doable for tall boy cars however which are inherently space centric.
2) A raised height card naturally increases drag and reduces FE. In Japan, the absolute focus is on FE and space, especially for Suzuki.

Basically as per Japanese thinking, as I understand, Sun Roof is not a requirement for India where there is plenty of Sun available. Of course it's a feel good item but trade-off in FE is not worth it.The Indian usage context of leaning out through Sun Roof is alien to them.

For the manual mode for AGS do we have let off the gas while shifting or we can continue holding the gas pedal while moving to another gear? Also does the MID display which gear it is in?

Most of the Baleno’s i see on road, there are always these small dings on the round contours of both the doors. These dings are more prominent on the darker colours and make the overall car look terrible.Hope Maruti took note of this from the earlier generation and made the required changes.

Went to see the Baleno a few days ago. Already have the older generation which, aside from the laughably poor build quality, is a superb all rounder. Was planning to upgrade to the new one if the build quality had improved considerably.
The color looks good. The interiors have improved visually, although the quality of the plastics is still underwhelming.
The build quality is still quite poor IMO. This was the biggest disappointment for me. The doors are light, almost no heft whatsoever. No thud, more like a plasticky thunk. The bonet was always alright in the older generation too. The same is the case with this one as well. Heavy bookings from what the SA told me. The beige color looks weird in person. The blue and silver shine.
To conclude, no reason to upgrade then for mw. The car will do well and is superb for the city. Anything above 60 and out on the highways is however, a clear danger.
Choose well. Drive safe.
Abhi.

hi,
the new Baleno gets bigger better brakes, can these be fitted to earlier version cars?

I have been trying to make up my mind about which car to buy, for a couple of months now. In fact, I started a thread on the "What Car?" sub-forum, seeking help from T-BHP experts, to try and zero in on a 'dream car' for myself.

On that thread [now closed] people poured in with some amazing insights and guidance - which has helped me substantially.

Towards the end of that exercise, I mentioned that I was hoping to get a TD for the New Baleno, sometime soon... And responding to that, @Kosfactor mentioned -
I finally got that TD - where I live and work - in a rural area within close proximity to a highway-connector. So, here's my two-bits on the new avatar ~

Some points that worried me, before the TD:-

• A lowish GC (170 mm)
• Issue reported by a friend regarding the front bumper fouling too often with high speed-breakers (in the outgoing model of the Baleno)
• Maruti's invariable inability to get the aesthetics of a car right (I am an artist by training - and I know for a fact that aesthetics is really about very well defined calculations, as opposed to a common belief that it is a matter of subjective taste)
• The fact that the outgoing model had such dismal NCAP ratings

Some hoped-for improvements that I was looking forward to, before the TD:-

• In the photos, the new avatar looked really sorted - in the 'looks' department
• The reported tweaking of the suspension as well as the transmission - addressing some of the known issues with the older version
• The report that Maruti had in fact put in extra focus on safety with the new avatar - 6 airbags (a major point of attraction for me) & heavier sheet-metal
• The resultant extra kerb weight - which should logically add stability to the vehicle
• The already well-tested and refined 1.2 lt. K series engine getting a Dual-Jet injection system - which would hopefully add to the driveability

My feelings - after the TD:-

FOCUS ~ Low GC / Problem with front bumper vs high speed-breakers / Differently tuned suspension & Transmission improvements

I started the TD by taking the car over a metalled village road, with lots of 'local' speed-breakers - which leads to a pretty nasty dirt-road - going through a reserve forest, and emerging on to a highway-connector. In the initial part of that track, my speeds varied between 30 - 50 Kmph. And once on the dirt track, it was curtailed to about 20 - 30 Kmph.

• The transmission seemed just perfect! Light clutch with short travel - and the customary smoothness of well-slotted Maruti gear-shifts. I'd say it was amongst the best I have handled from Maruti during my recent TDs. Even when I threw the car into 4th/ 5th gear at low speeds (20-30 kmph), there was no apparent discomfort - though the gear-shift indicator did keep reminding me that I wasn't driving in the optimum gear!
• So was the suspension - remarkably good! No problem going over multiple speed-breakers - even at a brisk speed. On the dirt track however, I had to be more cautious. Although, once the speed was lowered, the car handled the nasty potholes much better that what I expected.
• Towards the end, I deliberately took the car over a series of three really high local speed-breakers - and could not see any reason for worry, regarding the low bumper-lip reported by my friend.

FOCUS ~ Looks / Comfort / Safety

• This is probably the first time that Maruti has got the exterior aesthetics to be near-perfect! From every angle, the car looks really well balanced and smart. The only 'flaw' I could find was the 'dot' lights lingering on from the older version, within the tail lamp assembly (the break lights). Even though they have reduced the number of those 'dots' - which went all around in a half circle earlier - they have chosen to linger on with them all the same. That, for me, has always been the most incongruous part of the Baleno's design! It brings on a completely different design-language, which does not gel with the rest of the car.
• The interior is just as smart. Not overdone - but quite plush. The seating position for the driver was excellent - and they have added the height adjusting mechanism. I thought the i20 (which I TD'd a few days back) lags behind in that department - the new Baleno seemed to give me a much better view - and it felt less slunk-in. The second-row leg room seemed really extended - it looked even more that the S-Cross to me! However, as a result the boot space has been reduced. I personally did not see the point of the compromise - but then, I am not a tall man. The seats seemed nice too - with prominent support from various angles. Though they did seem a bit too soft to me - and I wondered how a long drive would feel in them.
• I did quite a bit of Finger-NCAP testing - all around the vehicle. The the heavier sheet metal was quite apparent. The bonnet hood was not flimsy either. And inside the bonnet there was ample space (it could have easily accommodated a larger engine), with nicely organised components. The engine guard down below was also a reassuring sight.

FOCUS ~ Driveability / Powertrain / Dual Jet effect / Stability

• For the first part of my TD the car drove beautifully. The usual progressive and smooth Maruti power delivery - almost noiseless refinement - peppy pick up.
• But once I emerged on to the highway connector - I was remarkably disappointed! I have recently TD'd the Ignis - with the same 1.2, and without the dual-jet. That was a far superior drive - above 60 kmph. The baleno, with it's added weight, was just outright sluggish. Even with a downshift to 4th gear, at speeds around 60-80 kph, the car was still struggling to overtake trucks in front. I am a light-footed driver. But even when I revved the engine, in frustration, I did not find the power that I expected.
• And the most disappointing part was the severe body roll and lack of stability - when I did a few quick swivels on the steering, at higher speeds. All that added weight notwithstanding, the car seemed really skittish and not at all planted, in spite of it's rather wide wheel track! In fact, I felt more confident with the Ignis in that department, compared to the heavier, lower and larger Baleno.
• The steering itself, however, displayed much better centring, compared to any of the other Marutis I have driven lately.

MY TAKE-HOME ~

• The new Baleno is a great looking car
• It's a worthy package for the 'premium' mnemonic
• It is a competent city vehicle
• It's no where near as good for highway travel
• I had read a report somewhere (not sure if it was here on T-BHP), before the launch of the New Baleno, that there was a possibility that Maruti might bring on the 1.5 Lt. K series engine (S-Cross/ Brezza) - maybe as an option - in the Baleno. I really wished they had done that! My sense was that it would have made this car a much better package.
• It's not for me! :D

Maruti Suzuki Baleno CNG launching soon!





Link

I took a test drive on AMT today. Its much much better than Nexon AMT. Not much of head nod. Hill hold is very decent ( 3 to 4 sec before rolling back ). Overall I felt good.

I am contemplating this against magnite turbo CVT. Turbo certainly show off its power. Nothing much to talk about Baleno 1.2 NA motor, its just adequate for normal drives. But maruti after sale is a big boon compare to Nissan.

Unknown NACP crash test rating of Baleno is what holding me against it.. Can't believe it can move from zero to five by just a facelift.

Swageo,

I noticed you are from B'lore. Which dealer did you get the Baleno AGS for TD from? Most of the dealers I'm calling seem to be saying they don't have the car yet. In fact, Kataria Motors was telling me that the AGS is unlikely to be ready for TD this entire month.

Aaditto,

Thanks for the detailed review. Was a little surprised to see this:
The official review had this to say:
Putting these two together: your experience (not happy with highway performance) while the bhp review says it shines there when you floor that accelerator and revv it to the red - I'm wondering if this is an engine mainly for the revv happy in the highway, while giving trouble to sedate drivers. I'm a sedate driver (generally at 80 kmph in highways), light footed, I shy away from revving the engine - do you think, the issues you faced are likely to bother me too? Would love to know your views.

Nexa showroom in Sarjapore Road. They are not allowed to come take vehicle to home.. So you have to stop by